Published on October 27, 2005
Atonement on behalf of govt would help lessen bad feelings in the deep South
The troubles in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are local, born as much of cock-eyed ideas of independence as seething resentment of the treatment meted out to Muslims. In the main, the anger is not directed at Thailand, but at the armed forces sent down to counter the problem.
How long will it take for a populace to forgive and forget atrocities such as Krue Se or Tak Bai, in which dozens of Muslims died? Knowing Malay culture, the answer is never. These dead people have relatives, not only in Thailand, but also in Malaysia. And while the bombings and shootings may be done by a handful of fanatics, it does not take much soul searching for Muslim villagers to harbour them or turn a blind eye to their atrocities. Silently, many will applaud their action. The damage is done. What is needed is atonement and reconciliation by the authorities. This cannot be done by soldiers and policemen. The Muslims in the South need to be shown that Bangkok genuinely cares for their welfare, and the only way to do this is to improve their economic lot – more job opportunities, more amenities, more schools and medical facilities. And stop the heavy-handed treatment. In short, bring the Muslims back into the national fold as fellow Thais and brethren. Shahriza Hussein Malaysia ------------------------------------- Take tough action against those who don’t value life Following the Israeli method of delivering strong responses to militant attacks will help control the situation better. Teach the terrorists a lesson, so they know as well what it feels like to be targeted. Talk is free, but action speaks louder. I pray that for innocent parties, things get back to normal, and the sooner the better. James Ng Bangkok ------------------------------------- Less media freedom in US a result of dirty politics Re: “Backsliding to the bottom half”, Editorial, October 26. The sources that New York Times reporter Judith Miller was protecting in the current American government were probably engaged in building the false case for Saddam’s WMDs, in order to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq. In a final act of hubris, they chose to destroy the career of the wife of Joseph Wilson, who stood up to them and pointed out the lies upon which their case was built. Judith Miller was not protecting a news source. She was protecting a co-conspirator in the railroading of a nation to war. The slide in the US ranking in the eyes of Reporters without Borders is due to the complicity of the mainstream media in the United States with the ongoing war led by the US administration. While the television media, led by Fox News and CNN, have debased “the news” in the United States to a level the equivalent of professional wrestling, the “respectable” print media, led by The New York Times, have actively helped the present regime promote its war in Iraq by disseminating lies about WMDs and the fanciful connection of Saddam with al-Qaeda. It is perhaps fitting that Judith Miller was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her war-mongering work leading up to this war that has killed tens of thousands and exacerbated the very conditions it was nominally claimed to solve. John Francis Lee Chiang Rai ------------------------------------- Inmates should not be given chances to harm themselves Re: “Drug suspects ‘hang themselves’ using shoelaces in police cell”, News, October 4. Following the recent deaths by hanging of three Karen while in police custody in Lampang, maybe it would be safer for everyone that Lampang be declared a “shoelace-free zone”. There are already drug-free zones and gun-free zones, so why not a shoelace-free Lampang, a first in the nation and the world? The police would start confiscating all shoelaces from all visitors and inmates in prisons. That would be a small price to pay if it would lead to fewer deaths. Padraig MacGobhain Bangkok ------------------------------------- Considering other leaders is normal in a democracy Re: “Who does the writer have in mind as a replacement?” Letters, October 25. Dear Ch Chan, please don’t disagree with somebody by verbal thrusts, the way our PM reacts to his critics, though you are not so acrimonious as he. Nowadays, it is not at all easy at all for people to go and criticise our PM and his administration. If they do so, they have to run the risk of being slapped with a libel suit. Criticism jars on the ear but induces good conduct. Our PM would have been a good leader for the Thai people and made real contributions to Thai society if he had listened with an open mind to criticism from personalities of various circles. I have noticed many things he has done that I think inappropriate. He uses English words here and there when speaking, at a time when teachers are having a hard time encouraging students to use our native tongue correctly. And do you ever wonder how he comes across to the workers, peasants, people at large when he uses terms like “mutual respect” and “personal interest”? Are there no Thai expressions for what he wanted to convey? Led by our PM, our government has long been bent on lobbying for Deputy PM Surakiart Sathirathai to be chosen for the position of UN secretary-general. My questions are: 1. Whoever in the UN history ran for the position with the help of his government’s all-out lobbying? And how about the officials from South Korea and Sri Lanka who are said to be running for the position? Are the leaders of their governments going all out to support them like this? 2. What is the cost of the lobbying? 3. How many poor peasants have to toil a year to cover that huge amount of money to pay for the lobbying? The grand project of Nakhon Suvarnabhumi also raises concerns. I don’t want to say it is just a pipe dream. It can be made a reality. But our PM and his Cabinet have some more explaining to do. Our PM is a shrewd businessman who built a legendary business empire. But when it comes to this project, he and his aides seem not to have given enough thought as to whether it is really feasible to build a modern city in a swamp. So the investment of so much money will be needed for this project! Is there nowhere else in Thailand where such a city could be located? What are residents of this city supposed to think of the jetliners screaming overhead? The proposal runs counter to common sense. I am not ill-willed towards our PM. I just think he has shortcomings and has made mistakes. I hope he will improve for his own good and for the good of the Thai people. I have no one in mind as a replacement for our PM. Abee Bangkok ------------------------------------- Hi-tech solutions can speed up slow queues in embassies I recently applied for a visa at the Thai Embassy in London. The staff members were very helpful and efficient. But clearly the present application system, designed a long time ago, is creaking under the pressure of numbers, and there is obviously a need, in everyone’s interest, to move procedures into the 21st century. Clearly all embassies have a need to be on guard against those who might compromise their country’s security integrity or abuse the immigration rules – no country can permit the unrestricted admission of aliens. However, many of those applying for visas are repeat visitors with proven track records of compliance and deserving of fast-track facilities. It is perhaps time that for this group, an Internet Online Visa Club be created. A new website could be linked to the Thai Immigration database and an e-commerce facility for the collection of visa fees. An invisible visa number would be created in the Immigration System (similar to that used by Australia for those coming from a large number of countries). Eligibility for new members of the club could, for example, be those with a history of three trouble-free visits to the Kingdom. Members who subsequently overstay or otherwise violate the rules could have these privileges revoked. Such an approach would result in significant savings for the Thai authorities, as they try to cope with an upsurge of applications, and relief for those who make long journeys and wait in queues at embassies around the world. Dennis Harvey UK ------------------------------------- Sorry to hear that a trusted voice in radio is signing off I want to join the growing number of Thais who will be greatly disappointed to see the discontinuation of the BBC’s Thai-language broadcasts. Needless to say, the BBC enjoys a reputation for impartiality in its news coverage. I for one have been a BBC fan since my student days (now I’m in my early 50s) and have always considered the BBC to be an international institution to be admired for its commitment to high-quality journalism and professionalism in the field. Its international broadcast services, including those in Thai, have truly made the BBC the source of news reports that I trust. Weerapon Phan-araya Bangkok
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